SARAH & SEBASTIAN has become synonymous with a fine, barely-there aesthetic. Our pieces, whilst delicate, are crafted by hand and destined to live a long life if they are carefully worn and taken care of. We recommend following the below advice to ensure the longevity of your pieces.
Everyday considerations: Be aware of all contact to your jewellery, delicate pieces can be caught on clothing or handbag straps without being noticed. Your jewellery should be put on last when dressing and taken off first.
Safety first: Remove your jewellery prior to sleeping, submerging in water or exercising to avoid significant wear and tear.
Skin: Limit the contact your piece has with perfumes, creams and makeup as these substances can accelerate the tarnishing process and congest any links or settings in your jewellery.
Storage: Your jewellery should be stored individually in its original packaging in a dry, cool place to prevent it from being scratched, tangled or tarnishing.
TLC: Clean and polish your jewellery regularly to maintain lustre and check for wear and tear, please read on below for specific material care instructions.
Repair: Rest assured your jewellery is covered for any manufacturing faults - you can read about your warrantyhere. Or, if your piece has suffered wear and tear we can provide a quote for repair in our workshop.
Our Fine Chains
Woven together in Italy with links as fine as thread, our signature fine chain is delicate in nature and requires care to avoid accidentally getting caught or stretching. Please always keep this in mind, as any damage caused by wear and tear isn’t covered under warranty.
To clean your chain, follow this simple method at home. Firstly, take a mild liquid soap and pour into a container along with warm water. Soak your gold chain in the soap water for several minutes and then rub gently with a soft cloth or very soft toothbrush. Clean the gold chain down its entire length. Once you're satisfied, rinse the gold chain thoroughly and pat dry.
Alternatively, choose to make a small investment in an ultrasonic cleaner which works by emitting high frequency sound waves or pop into one of our stores for a refresh.
The most common reason that our necklaces will break is a result of stretching. As our chains are made from solid gold (a malleable material), they can stretch from continuous pulling (everyday wear) or being caught on something.
It’s worthwhile checking if your chain has stretched from time to time as a compromised chain can lead to breakage and potential loss!
Keep your length in check
The best way to check your chain for stretching is to measure it.
Take your chain and measure its entire length (including jump rings and clasp) against a ruler then compare that measurement to its original length (you can find this on your order confirmation). If your jump rings are no longer perfect circles, this is also a sure sign that the chain has experienced stress and stretched!
If you notice that your chain has stretched, contact us as we are able to replace the chain in our workshop for a fraction of the cost of buying a new necklace or bracelet.
If your chain becomes knotted, untangle it as soon as you can to avoid stretching.
We recommend using two pins to untangle the knot on a flat, hard surface. Start in the middle of the knot to loosen the chain. Once your chain loosens and more gaps in the chain appear, gently manoeuvre your pin away from the tightest point of the knot to release the tangle. Avoid being too heavy-handed, you are performing a delicate procedure and don’t want to break your chain!
Gold
Our gold jewellery is made from 10K solid gold (with the exception of our bespoke, engagement styles and cartilage posts which can be made in higher karatages).
10k gold is made up from pure 24k gold and other alloys. We love it for its light golden colour and greater durability because of the alloys it is mixed with (although it can be more prone to tarnishing on some skin types).
To clean your gold jewellery, we recommend soaking in warm soapy water and buffing dry with a soft cloth or use a jewellery polishing cloth to help maintain shine. You can also use an ultrasonic machine for efficient, safe cleaning.
Please note that all SARAH & SEBASTIAN jewellery is nickel free and hypoallergenic.
It’s quite common that gold jewellery can cause a blackening of the skin underneath an earring or ring and the reasons for this (beyond the purity of the gold) can be environmental, chemical and biological. The changes in your body’s chemistry, instigated by fluctuating pH levels can also cause reactions between your skin and the jewellery worn.
We recommend you remove jewellery before swimming, exercising, cleaning or anything else that may use chemicals or scratch the gold. It is also important to clean your jewellery to remove any dirt, sweat or chemicals that could react with the metals in your gold jewellery and prevent breakdown or damage.
Sterling Silver
Sterling silver can oxidise with time however properly maintained silver jewellery improves with age and develops a unique patina. Wear your silver often (the oils in your skin actually prevent tarnishing) and care for it properly and it will reward you with a long life.
To remove any tarnish the simple use of a special Silver Dip or rubbing with a Silver Cloth is all that is required to renew brilliance and shine.
Vermeil
Our Vermeil pieces are made in sterling silver and plated in a thick even layer of 18k gold.
Over time, vermeil jewellery will naturally fade due to the various levels of acid and salt in its wearer’s skin.
To extend the life of vermeil, avoid wearing when washing hands, showering, applying lotion, using harsh cleaning supplies or exercising. To clean, buff gently with a soft and dry 100% cotton cloth or a microfiber cloth. Do not use jewellery cleaner or a polishing cloth on vermeil jewellery as this will buff off the 18k gold layer.
If you notice your vermeil jewellery losing its colour, we offer a replating service at our workshop for a small fee. Please contact our Customer Care team at info@sarahandsebastian.com for a quote.
Pearls
Pearls are durable however can be vulnerable to many chemicals found in beauty products such as make-up and perfume.
We recommend you to avoid direct contact of any chemicals and clean your pearls with a soft cloth, moistened with water.
Opals
Our Opals should be gently wiped with a damp soft cloth and mild detergent. Please avoid bleach, chemicals and cleaners as these can damage the stone and the use of an ultrasonic cleaner, as the intense vibrations may cause cracking of your opal.
Diamonds
Whilst diamonds are a durable gemstone which resist scratching (except by other diamonds) and maintain their brilliance over time, they aren’t indestructible.
It’s important to wear your diamond jewellery carefully as it be chipped by strong force, become loose in a weakened setting, or be damaged by contact with other diamonds.
As with all SARAH & SEBASTIAN jewellery, store your diamond jewellery individually in their original packaging in a dry, cool place. You can clean your diamond jewellery by wiping it with a lint-free cloth or with warm water, mild soap and a soft toothbrush.
We encourage you to have your diamond jewellery periodically cleaned at our workshop so we can check the settings to maintain your piece’s beauty and integrity over time.
Earring Backings
Our butterfly earring backings have discs that oppose one another, acting as delicate springs that pinch the ear post. Our earring posts have various stoppings to ensure our earrings fit comfortably and securely.
The risk of losing an earring backing is likely when the tension of the discs is loosened which reduces the friction on the post. We recommend tightening your earring backings to increase the friction on the post. This can be done by making the curvature of the springs smaller at the point it has contact with the post. Pinch the point of contact of the butterfly backing to the post.
We recommend replacing an earring backing if it has lost its shape and you can purchase earring backings here. Please keep in mind our earring backings vary in size depending on their earring style and material.
Repair & Refurbishment
We strive to ensure a closed cycle production so our workshop operates to repair and refurbish all SARAH & SEBASTIAN products purchased directly online or in-store.
Please visit our returns portal or one of our retail stores to have your piece repaired or refurbished.
Warranty
Every SARAH & SEBASTIAN piece comes with a limited warranty in addition to your rights under Australian Consumer Law, covering all manufacturing faults.
Please note that your jewellery can also be damaged by wear and tear (especially if the above care instructions are not adhered to). Damage caused by wear and tear is not covered under warranty and a repair fee will be incurred if your piece is deemed that this is the case.
Learn about your full warranty and rights under Australian Consumer Law here.